Kingdom Shadows
by Zephyros-Phoenix
Summary: City Shadows AU Spin-off, DragoxOC, OCxOC. In a world ruled by Demon Sorcerers, the Shadow Strikers find themselves on different paths. Linos secretly leads a human resistance with his friends as "Liam", Mala lives an ignorant life as a princess and Remy is the last demon hunter in existence. But fate has a way of bringing them together...
1. The Resistance

**Well, now that arc 2 is finished, I've got some time and brain power to devote to the AU. Now, like I said, I haven't thought everything out just yet and because it's a side project, chapters will be shorter than what you're used to in City Shadows. For those who don't know, this is a "Demon World" inspired AU of our Jackie Chan Adventures characters, the Shadow Strikers.**

**But without further adieu, enjoy the story!**

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><p>This is Earth, but very likely not the world you know. For in this world there is magic, but there are also demons. Fierce, powerful and cruel. All words to describe the creatures that ruled this world: Demon Sorcerers. Each a master of magic in their own right and each a ruler of their own kingdom. Every day, humans are subjected to cruel labor and are nothing more than slaves to their demon masters. But in this time of darkness, a glimmer of hope shines brightly; hope that humans would be free from demonic rule someday.<p>

"Raah! How is it that such pathetic creatures can cause so much trouble?" Tzan Ren, Shadow Demon Sorcerer and ruler of the Shadow Kingdom, shouted angrily as he knocked things off the large table in his study. "This so-called Resistance has become far too troublesome! How is it that we have been unable to flush them out!"

"The humans have proven to be far more cunning than we thought, master," a tall hooded woman with dark skin and bright red eyes. She had a dark, tattered cloak hanging over her shoulders and a quiver of arrows strapped on her back. In her hand, she held a large, black bow.

"Humans? Cunning? They are pathetic insects! How dare they behave in such a manner to their masters! You are supposed to be the commander of my rangers, Hou Yi! Find this resistance and flush them out!"

"Yes, master!" Hou bowed before rushing out.

"Scouts may not be sufficient, my lord," said a tall male demon dressed in a long coat with light armor. He had a slim, dark blade strapped across his back. He sat in the frame of a large window with a blade of grass in his mouth before moving over to Tzan Ren.

"I am aware of that Jun Bing. But I cannot send in my soldiers under your command or Wei Gong's siege forces if I do not know where I am sending them!" Tzan Ren shouted, banging his fists in the table again angrily. As the Shadow Demon Sorcerer continued to converse with one of his commanders, Linos, Tzan Ren's teenage son, hung from the ceiling just one room over. His eyes were closed in concentration and his ears twitched slightly, focusing in on the conversation just across the hall.

"Eavesdropping?"

"Ah!" Linos nearly jumped out of his skin and fell from the ceiling when he heard someone next to him. He sighed in relief when he saw that it was only his mother, Hsian Ji, clinging to the ceiling next to him. If you were to put Linos next to his parents, it would be very clear that Linos got his looks from his mother. Her fur was a bright brown like hers and she also had a pair of tan horns sprouting just above her forehead, though hers were larger than his. The only real differences between the two were while Linos had two large wings and two arms - a trait he inherited from his father - Hsian Ji had two sets of wings, one large and one small. And like Linos, she was dressed in dark brown fabric covering her chest and waist while her long black hair, in a bun and ponytail, hung beneath her. "How did you know I was here?"

"My dear, if you think you can hear something from across the hall, you must know that I can hear a butterfly's wingbeat across the sea. You know what your father would say if he caught you eavesdropping again, don't you?" she asked as they simultaneously released their grip from the ceiling and landed flawlessly on the floor.

"I know," he pouted. "I just don't understand why he won't let me come to his meetings with his commanders! I'm not that much younger than Hou Yi!"

"Now, now," she said, brushing back his hair with one of the horns on her wings, "Your father is a busy demon. He's got a whole kingdom to manage and a troublesome resistance that is making life for him difficult."

"Have they found anything out about the resistance? Like who's leading them?" Linos asked as he and his mother walked down the hall of their enormous palace.

"Not quite I'm afraid. These humans have certainly grown quite devious. Perhaps we don't give them enough credit. Don't tell your father I said that," Hsian Ji whispered.

"As long as you don't tell him I was snooping!" Linos added as the two laughed.

"Deal! Now you should hurry off before your father catches you. Where are those two servants of yours? Timothy! Mavis!" Hsian Ji called. At her order, two smaller humans - a boy with short hazel brown hair and a girl with long reddish-brown hair in two, low pigtails - appeared before them from down the hall.

"Come on you two," Linos said, leaving as Tim and Mavis followed him. Once they reached Linos' chambers, he shut the door behind him.

"So what did you-?" Mavis started asking, but stopped when Linos held up his hand to silence her.

Linos placed his hand on the door and a thin glowing barrier formed around the entire room. "There," he said, "Now no one will be able to hear us."

"So what did you find out?" Tim asked.

"Hey, that was my question!" Mavis whined.

"Dad's starting to crack. Our operations against his empire and the Shadow Legion are making a dent. But, he's getting angry. If I know my father, it's that when he gets angry, he becomes unpredictable."

"I've been wondering Linos, when are we going to actually start doing something more. Don't get me wrong, stealing food supplies and sabotaging demon outposts are fun, but if we want to free our land and this entire world from demon rule, we'll need to start making some bigger strikes," Tim pointed out.

"We're not ready. We may have my powers backing us up, but everyone else is still just human. I won't risk their lives," Linos said. "Besides, my father's starting to crack down on Hou Yi, so it's likely her scouts will be all the more frequent. We should lay low for a while."

"Aw man, that's boring!"

"Boring or not, it means less lives will be lost.

"Then I suggest we focus our plans on areas outside the Shadow Kingdom, at least until the heat dies down in this area. That way, we won't lose any momentum and morale while we lay low," Tim suggested.

"Good idea. Come on," Linos said, pulling open the drawer of his bedside table and pulling out a white mask with red eyes. He put the mask on and shadows suddenly swirled around him. In an instant, Linos shrunk down to human size and had fair skin and messy black hair. He wore a red Chinese-style top with ripped ends, brown gloves and pants and a light brown fabric belt and cloak around his neck and shoulders. "We have a resistance to lead." Using his shadow powers, Linos opened a shadow portal beneath them. The trio disappeared into it and reappeared in a dark corner in an alleyway far from the palace. Mavis poked her head out of the alley to check if the coast was clear, before waving for Linos and Tim to move.

High above, Hsian Ji perched on the highest point of the palace rooftop as the full moon shined brightly behind her. She narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of the three of them running through back alleys until they finally disappeared behind a run down building. She spread her large wings wide, taking off before flawlessly gliding down and into a window. She landed right in front of Tzan Ren's map table in his private study while he stood opposite of it.

"Our son is hiding something from me. I know it," he muttered.

"Since when do you know anything about our son. You spend all your time cooped up in our study or out there setting examples! What do you know anything about Linos?" Hsian Ji asked, strolling up to her husband.

"I know that he is… different. There is just something off about him. And as much as it is bothering me that there is something strange about our son, I cannot focus on him while there is a resistance threatening my rule."

"Our rule," she corrected.

"Right, our rule," Tzan Ren said. "Just, keep an eye on him, will you? Let me know if you find out anything."

"Of course, my darling. I shall inform you of whatever I find," Hsian Ji said as she bowed graciously to her husband. With her head hung low so that Tzan Ren couldn't see her face, Hsian Ji grinned widely.

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><p>"Get those crates in place, people! We may be a ragtag resistance, but I'll be damned if we aren't the finest looking resistance in the whole damn world!" Mavis shouted, ordering resistance members as they moved through their secret, underground headquarters.<p>

"She's certainly keeping busy," Linos noted, watching as Mavis gave out orders.

"Mavis likes bossing people around," Tim added as he drew notes and lines on the large, old map on their planning table.

"So, I was wondering Tim, you spend all your time in here planning and reading. You sure you don't want to get out in the field someday?"

"Oh no, no, no, trust me, I'll much more of a help to you here than out there. I think we both remember what happened the last time I tried picking up a sword," Tim said as the pair chuckled. "But seriously Linos, I'm more useful to you here behind a planner's desk and a pile of books."

"'Liam'," Linos corrected, "Remember to call me that when I'm in this form," he whispered closely.

"Right, sorry." Suddenly, the pair heard some commotion outside the planning room. When they went out, they saw a crowd gathered around a boy around their age with shaggy, long hair in a low ponytail. He was dressed in black body armor with parts of green that matched his eyes as a long scarf of the same color flowed down his back. When Liam and Tim made their way through the crowd towards him, Remy greeted them with a smirk.

"Remy," Liam greeted.

"Liam," Remy greeted back.

"Have any trouble?"

"You know me, I always get out in one piece," Remy smirked.

"Haha, one way or another, you do. Just try not to take any unnecessary risks, ok Remy? You're one of the best here and we can't afford to lose the last demon hunter," Liam said, placing a reassuring hand on Remy's shoulder as he scanned the scars on Remy's face and exposed chest.

"Yes sir. So what's my next assignment?" Remy asked.

"Here," Liam replied, handing him a scroll. Remy took the scroll and opened it up before scanning its contents. "You sure you don't wanna take a break? You look like you could use one."

"Nah, I focus better when I'm on the job and I'll rest when all humans are free from demon rule. So who am I slaying this time?"

"The Crystal Demon Sorceress and her daughter."

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><p><strong>I think the thing I'll look forward to the most about this AU is writing characters who are already deceased by the time of City Shadows, such as Linos' mother Hsian Ji (who's become a quick favorite to the both of us) and Jasper, Mala's father, who will appear in later chapters. Also, for those who follow City Shadows and are anticipating arc 3, you can consider this as sort of a sneak peek to some of the new characters coming in ;)<strong>

**Ideas and suggestions for future chapters and events are highly encouraged! Please avoid simply saying anything like "awesome" or "when it the next chapter". Please tell me what you did/did not like about the story, were confused by something or think I should try your idea. By leaving me a more extensive review about the story and it's contents and my skills, you help me help you create a more enjoyable reading experience. Plus, review are more fun to read when it's more than just "I like this". Just sayin' :)**


	2. The Prince and Princess

**You know, I learned something. Writing shorter chapters means I finish quicker and can update more frequently. I guess that's what makes these side projects fun. All I need is one bus ride home and I can finish a little chapter! Ain't that great? **

**Also, I have started writing the first chapter of arc 3, but no word yet on when I'll be posting that.**

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><p>It took a few days for Remy to arrive in the Crystal Kingdom. Liam had insisted he stay for a night to rest before leaving, but Remy politely declined. It wasn't anything personal, but years of slaying demons and fighting for his life just made it hard for him to sleep in, well, a bed or anywhere safe. He had grown accustomed to sleeping against trees or up on a branch. He was a light sleeper anyway, so it was probably for the best considering the hustle and bustle that went on in the resistance headquarters. To avoid detection, Remy traveled through the wilderness that surrounded the kingdoms. People and demons rarely strayed from their territories so it was perfect. He climbed up on the roof of a rundown inn and ducked behind the chimney shaft. He pulled up his hood over his head before pulling out his binoculars. He scanned the palace that stood high up on a hill over the kingdom. All the entrances had crystal demons guarding them and from the looks of it, they kept fairly strict routes. There wouldn't be enough time for him to sneak between them. But, it looked like there was a bit of a blind spot on the south end of the palace. That's where he'd get in.<p>

Suddenly, Remy was startled by the sound of a pair of horns. He sharply turned his attention to the kingdom gates and saw the doors opening. Intrigued, he moved across the rooftops until he got closer to the gates and had a good view of what was going on. "Shit…" he cursed when he saw who came through the gates. A large pair of winged, serpentine dragons marched through the gates. Atop them sat their riders: one a large, dark gold humanoid dragon in a purple loincloth and the other a much smaller, more human-sized dark green humanoid dragon dressed in black and red. "Shen Du," Remy whispered, recognizing the Fire Demon Sorcerer and his son. This was bad. Remy knew his limits; he could take a Demon Sorcerer and their child, but two? Remy didn't have a choice. He'd have to wait until Shen Du left before he made his move.

Meanwhile, when Shen Du and his son made it to the palace entrance, they were greeted by a tall, male human with dark brown hair dressed in servant's robes. "Servant! You may inform your master of our arrival," Shen Du hissed.

"My lady is already aware of your arrival, Lord Shen Du," the human replied with a courteous bow.

"Then don't just stand there. Escort us in!" Shen Du ordered.

"Of course. You may leave your dragons here. We've prepared stables for them as well as personal rooms for your stay," he explained. His demeanor was remarkably calm, given that he was in the presence of Shen Du.

"Ah, Shen Du," Lang Yan greeted with a smile. "How good it is to see you again. Drago, my daughter is in the study if you'd like to go to her."

"Thank you," Drago bowed before leaving. Once Drago was gone, Shen Du turned to Lang Yan.

"We had a deal!" he snarled.

"Yes, we did," she replied calmly. "I help you get to the Book of Ages and you allow me to make my own adjustments that remain private to me. As I recall, your last attempt at the Book of Ages was foiled by a child, which is why you sought my assistance on the matter."

"But I did not say you could write in the existence of an insurgency!"

"I assure you, Shen Du, I wrote in no such thing."

"Then you won't mind showing me the page you tore out," he insisted.

"I will do no such thing! You know the consequences of violating a blood contract, Shen Du," Lang Yan smiled in victory when Shen Du backed down. "That's what I thought. I swore to you that I would help you get to the Book of Ages and make this world possible, and in return you would allow me to make my own personal changes that would remain private to me." Shen Du glared at her maliciously as a fireball formed in each of his hands. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You are strong, Shen Du, but we both already know which of us would win in a fight with the other." Shen Du sighed angrily as the fireballs disappeared. "Heh, that's what I thought," she smiled. "You and your son may stay the night, but you will be on your way back to the Fire Kingdom in the morning. Drago is, of course, welcome to stay longer. He is very close with my daughter after all. But you must be gone by morning. Understood?"

"Grrr, I will find out what you are hiding Lang Yan and when I do, you will be sorry for crossing me," he declared before leaving the room.

Once he was gone and the door shut behind him, Lang Yan sighed, feeling as if a huge load was lifted off her shoulder. She could certainly hold her own, especially against Shen Du in battle. But if he ever found out what she was hiding, everything would be ruined. "My lady?" Lang Yan turned to her personal servant, the same one that had shown Shen Du in.

"Yes, Jasper?"

"Are you all right?" he asked, clearly concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. It is nothing to worry about, trust me," she assured him. "So anything special for dinner tonight?"

"Yes, in fact, I've managed to have some mango pudding brought in."

"Oh, my favorite!" Lang Yan exclaimed.

"Indeed, my lady. Once Lord Shen Du and his son have departed, I shall organize the rest to be distributed to the people."

"Very good."

Meanwhile, Mala lounged on the couch in the library with a book in hand and Pearl, her crystal rabbit, sitting in her lap. She was so absorbed in the book that she didn't notice the doors to the library open as Drago strolled in.

"Guess who?" he sang.

Mala looked up from her book and gasped. "Drago! Oh, it's so good to see you! When did you get in?" she asked, running up from the couch and hugging him tightly.

"A few minutes ago! Let me tell you, the ride was not fun," he sighed.

"Why? What happened?"

"Dad just wouldn't stop going on and on about this human resistance that's popping up. Humans are just pathetic creatures; I can't believe they're actually making this much of a dent against us. Last week, we had a breach in the castle and dad went ballistic."

"I didn't realize it was this bad…"

"You honestly haven't heard anything about it?" Drago asked, surprised.

"Of course not! You know my mom, she never lets me leave the castle. It's like she knows I'm going to sneak out before I even try!"

"Yeah, nothing gets past your mom. So, uh, did you find anything about, uh, my…" Drago started, trailing off.

"Oh! No, I'm sorry Drago. I've been through this library time and time again, even the secret files, but nothing! I haven't found anything about your mom Drago."

"I-it's ok, I, uh, shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. But thanks for trying," he smiled.

"Hey," she started, rubbing his back, "I know how you feel Drago. I've never known who my father was and mom just refuses to tell me."

"At least you can ask your mother about it. Every time I bring up my mother to dad, he practically incinerates the room! I know I may never find her, if she's even still alive, but I just… I need to know who she was."

"And you will someday, I just know it. Hey, at least you get to leave your castle! Honestly, you coming here to visit is the only thing I have to look forward to! I don't really have anyone else to talk to about this sort of stuff. Well, there is Jasper, but it's not the same.

"Your mom's personal servant? Why are you wasting your time talking to a human?" Drago asked.

"Hey, he's a nice guy. He may be my mom's personal servant, but he took care of me a lot when I was a kid growing up. Not all humans are as bad as you think, Drago."

"Haha, right," Drago laughed. "Ow!" he cried when Mala playfully punched him in the ribs.

"Oh don't be such a baby! You're a tough guy, you can take it! Come on, let's go to dinner. I heard from Jasper that we got some mango pudding in!"

Later that night, Shen Du, in his astral form, floated through the Crystal Palace. He phased through the walls until he reached Lang Yan's room. When he saw her sleeping peacefully in her bed, he floated over to her desk across the room. He couldn't properly search the desk in his astral form, but he could glance at the papers on top, hoping to learn Lang Yan's heavily guarded secret. All of a sudden, Shen Du felt himself being yanked away from the desk as a large paw pinned him to the ground. He tried to phase through the floor, but the claw dug into his astral form, keeping him in place.

"I warned you Shen Du," Lang Yan growled, standing over him in her wolf form. "You should know better than to wander into a wolf's den." Shen Du, paralyzed with fear, couldn't even muster a response. "I believe I made myself very clear, Shen Du. My secrets are mine. From this moment forward, you are no longer welcome in my kingdom! If I so much as catch you slithering around, I will make you wish you had the Book of Ages to undo your little booboo. Now hurry back to your body before I rip out your throat!" She grinned triumphantly when Shen Du's astral form slithered away in fear after she released him from her grip.

In the morning, Lang Yan approached Drago and Mala as they finished their breakfast.

"Have you seen my dad?" Drago asked.

"Oh, your father and I had a… disagreement. For the time being, he is no longer welcome in my kingdom. You, however, still are," Lang Yan smiled. "You can stay as long as you like, but if you wish to return home, we can prepare your dragon for departure."

"Thanks for the offer, but I should probably go too," Drago replied.

"What? Noooo," Mala whined, grabbing his arm. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"I want to, but I should head home too. There's no telling what he'll trash once he gets home and I'd like it not to be my things. I promise I'll come back for another visit soon," he said to Mala.

"Ok," she pouted. Jasper appeared with Drago's dragon mount and handed the young Fire Demon the reins. Drago mounted the dragon and gave one last wave to Mala before taking off.

Down in the streets, Remy watched from a dark alley as Drago flew off back to the Fire Kingdom. He sighed in relief that the Fire Demons were now gone. He couldn't afford to wait around any longer. He looked up at the palace, scanning his planned route inside. It would be best to wait until nightfall, he reasoned. That way, he'd be less likely to be spotted by patrolling guards. He waited until then, taking a nap so he'd be well rested for his mission. When he woke up, it was past sunset and as he made his way towards the palace, he couldn't help but notice something off about the people around him. They looked almost… happy. Children were laughing and playing while the adults were smiling at each other. And there was so much food! The few stores and home windows he caught a glimpse into he saw tables full of food. Why was there so much? And why was everyone here so happy? In all the other kingdoms he had been in, the people were miserable, starving, struggling to make it to the next day.

"Excuse me," Remy said, walking up to one of the villagers - an old man in green with a white beard, "why is there so much food and why does everyone look so, so… happy?" he asked. He couldn't think of any better way to phrase the question so he just asked it as simply as he could.

"You must be new around here," he smiled, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kuang and welcome to the Crystal Kingdom."

"Remy," he introduced, shaking the old man's hand.

"You see, life here in the Crystal Kingdom is not like that in the other kingdoms you may have seen. Our queen takes care of us; she gives us all the food and clothing we need so that we may live happy and comfortably. And in return, all that she asks is that when other demons come to our kingdom, we simply play the role of subjugation."

"What? Why?" Remy asked, confused.

"If any of the other Demon Sorcerers ever found out what life in the Crystal Kingdom was really like, they would come here and make life truly miserable for her and us."

"I don't-hey wait!" Before Remy could ask more questions, the man walked off. He chased after Kuang but lost sight of the man in the crowd. It was getting dark quick and Remy didn't have time to chase after an old man. Even if what he said was true and that Lang Yan really was a benevolent ruler, it just… it just didn't make sense to him. Demons are evil, malicious creatures that would kill them all without a second thought. That's what they did to his entire clan! He was only a baby when it happened and he somehow escaped the entire purge of the Ryder Clan demon hunters, but he knew it was the Demon Sorcerers that ordered their execution. Remy didn't know how he escaped; he was only a year old when it happened. His foster parents didn't know much, only that a woman with long blonde hair in a ponytail and red eyes had given him to them. When he found out where he came from, he didn't waste any time studying the notebook the woman had left him with. He found clues within that led him to what was supposedly one of many hidden underground bunkers, filled with equipment. There were times where he would spend days in that first bunker he found, studying the notes left there to learn all the fighting techniques and knowledge he knew now. It was then that he swore that he would avenge the death of his family and clan mates and that he would liberate the people of this world from the tyrannical rule of the Demon Sorcerers. With his determination reinvigorated, Remy continued to the palace. He made his way around back, avoiding some of the patrolling guards as he climbed up the wall towards one of the high-placed windows. As quietly as he could, he pulled himself in through one of the large windows. Resting in the frame of the window, he scanned the room and realized that he was in a bedroom, which belonged to none other than one of his targets. He recognized the lesser Crystal Demon as she slept in her bed, peacefully and blissfully ignorant of the danger she was in. Slowly and carefully, he reached behind his belt and pulled out his collapsible sword, whipping out the blade with a swift arm movement. Stalking up to the bed, Remy raised his blade high above his head, preparing to strike.

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><p><strong>Man, I am really just throwing these cliffies are you guys, aren't I? Does that make me terrible? ...Nah! XD<strong>

**Also, big shout out to user Nox Descious! Love the guy and the reviews he leaves. Seriously, he picked up on just about every little hint I left throughout arc 2. I don't know if the rest of you had picked up on my hints (I write in a specific way so that the hints are obvious to those reading carefully), but since almost none of you guys have said anything about it, as far as I know, you haven't noticed them. And trust, they good hints ;) And a big thanks to Nox for suggesting the Book of Ages idea for between Shen Du and Lang Yan. You rock, Nox!**

**Oh! One final thing. So deviantart appears to have implemented some form of status update system similar to facebook. Saves me the trouble of making a ZP facebook account honestly! So, for those who follow me on deviantart, you can look forward to some status updates that may or may not contain preview snippets of future chapters (not just of this story, but any of my ongoing stories). Oh who am I kidding? I'm totally gonna post previews XD but just one line!**


	3. The Slayer

**Man did I hit a major writing inspiration for this! Like the words have been pouring out all day! And holy shit, almost 4000 words! Not a length I was expecting for an obvious short story/mini project like this.**

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><p>As Remington approached the sleeping demon, he slowly raised his sword over his arm. He caught a glimpse of her sleeping face and couldn't help but notice how serene she looked. She slept so calmly and soundly, blissfully ignorant to the danger she was in. Remy couldn't put his finger on it, but her face looked very human for some reason, certainly more human than more of the demons he encountered. Sure she had blue skin, white hair and undoubtedly red eyes, but there was a significant lack of spikes on her face. Remy shook his head to drive away the thought. He didn't come here to think; he came here to perform a task, one that he was going to finish right now! As he prepared to bring the sword down onto her, the pink rabbit that sat on the bed by her legs suddenly lunged forward, growing in size so that it was bigger than him. With incredible speed and strength, the rabbit pinned him to the ground and his sword flew across the room and landed with a loud clang.<p>

"Huh?" Mala suddenly awoke upon hearing the commotion. The instant she saw Pearl pinning the intruder down, she leapt out of bed and out of her room, calling for guards.

"Dammit!" Remy cursed, trying to pull himself free of the crystal rabbit's grip, but it was far too strong for him. He placed his feet against the rabbit's abdomen and pushed it off him with all his might in a swift kick. He rolled back quickly and drew out his katana as the rabbit too prepared for a fight. Remy had gone through the plan over and over again, but he didn't account for the Crystal Demon Sorceress' daughter to have a guardian construct with her. And there was a good reason he didn't consider it: because it was impossible! Demons can create living constructs that move on their own, with their own minds and wills. So how was this one able to? So distracted by his own thoughts and confusion, Remy failed to notice Pearl lunging towards him. He took a hit right in the gut before trying to slice through Pearl's arms, but his sword simply bounced off. He turned to escape through the window - it was his own chance, run and come back another day with a better plan - but he suddenly felt himself frozen in place. He looked to the ground and saw crystals forming around his legs before spreading up to the rest of his body, keeping him in place.

"My, my, my, what lost little human has wandered into my den?" Remy heard a deep, female voice ask. He couldn't turn his head to see, but the one who spoke walked around in front of him.

"Lang Yan," he identified, looking at the Crystal Demon Sorceress standing before him.

"…You?" Lang Yan gasped with wide eyes. Remy was confused for a moment. The look on her face made it seem like… like she knew him. But that wasn't possible. He had never been to the Crystal Kingdom before and he knew from intel that Lang Yan never left her kingdom. There's no way she could have known what he looked like beforehand. He made sure that any demon that saw him also saw the end of his sword. There was just no way that she could know who he was! "Guards, take this intruder to the dungeon. Be sure to remove him of all his weapons and make sure no harm comes to him!" Lang Yan commanded. As her guards removed Remy from the room, Mala crept back in, clearly shaken and frightened from the ordeal.

"Mother, who was that?" Mala asked meekly.

"Just an intruder. Nothing to worry about, my dear," Lang Yan whispered tenderly, as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"But, why was he-"

"Shh, there, there. It's nothing you need worry about. Let mommy take care of it."

All day the next day, her mother's words lingered in Mala's mind. This wasn't the first time Lang Yan had dodged Mala's questions. Why was she never allowed to leave the palace? What was this news of human insurgency she'd heard from the other kingdoms? And the one questions that burned in Mala's mind the strongest: Who was her father? Lang Yan never answered any of these questions directly. Instead, she always found a way to change the subject or avoid answering entirely. Mala had tried countless times to be upfront with her questions, so maybe now it was time for a different course of action. Mala knew every inch of the palace by heart now. How could she not? There was only so many times she could reread the books in the palace library.

As the patrolling guards passed her bedroom door, she quickly snuck across the hallway, leaning close against the wall. She peeked around the corner each time to check for guards before moving on until she came to a storage closet. No one else knew about it, but there was a hidden crawlspace at the very back of the closet. Dismissing her crystal wings, Mala slowly crept into the space. "Ugh, I don't remember it being this tight, stupid tail!" she muttered, trying to get through easily without making too much noise.

"I think you should tell her. An attempt on her life was made today!" Mala stopped when she heard Jasper's voice. She crawled up to a small hole in the crawlspace that let her peek right into her mother's room.

"I will tell her when the time is right!" Lang Yan insisted.

"And what of the intruder?" Jasper asked next.

"He is a Ryder slayer," she replied.

"A slayer?" Jasper gasped. "B-but I thought they were all gone?"

"They were, but one escaped execution."

"How do you know this?" Jasper asked.

"Because I am the one who saved him."

"Please do not misunderstand me when I say this, but why save a Ryder slayer? If any of the other Sorcerers found out, they'd-"

"They would kill me. Yes, I know. But if they knew the truth about Mala, they would kill us both and the people of my kingdom would be at their mercy. That is why she can never know… Mala can never know that you're her father."

Mala just barely contained her gasp as she quickly covered her mouth. Thankfully, neither her mother nor Jasper heard her. All of a sudden, Mala felt her chest constrict. She couldn't breath and she felt the space around her growing smaller and smaller. As quickly and quietly as she could, she got out of the crawlspace and back to her room.

"There's something else isn't there? Lang, I know when something is bothering you. You know you can tell me anything," Jasper pleaded. Lang Yan, however, remained silent and stared at the wall. "It is this… other reality that is bothering you, isn't it?"

"Jasper…" Lang Yan whispered sadly. "I made a selfish, selfish choice. I knew what Shen Du wanted to do was wrong, but-but the chance to be with you again, to have the three of us be a family, together, I-I, it was all I ever wanted. I suppose I didn't want to admit it right away, but I knew someday this false reality would have to end."

"And this slayer has something to do with it?"

"The slayer, Linos and his two servants, Drago and Mala. In the true reality, they are friends and they have accomplished, will accomplish many amazing things. You'd be so proud of our daughter, if you knew how incredible she is."

"I am proud of her," he insisted. "I got to watch her grow up. And even if she never knew, I was still always there for her. So, only together, they can restore this other reality?"

"Yes. I would go myself, but Shen Du would expect me to. If I leave the kingdom, he'll know I've gone for the Book of Ages and my people will be vulnerable to attack. And I am a single entity. But the six of them, when they are together, there is nothing they cannot do."

"And what of us in this true reality?" Jasper asked, taking Lang's hands in his.

"We…we do not have a happy ending," Lang whispered sadly. "My lies destroyed us, ruined any chance for happiness for us."

"Then let's make the most of the time we have now," Jasper said with a smile. He brought his right hand up to her cheek and wiped away the tear that began sliding down.

* * *

><p>Mala paced back and forth in her room, nearly wearing a hole straight into the carpet. Jasper… Jasper was her father! Sure she felt something akin to the relationship between a father and daughter with him - he was always there for her, he practically raised her - but for him to actually be her father. Her mind just had trouble comprehending it all! So then, did that make her half-human? All these thoughts swam through her head at a frantic pace and Mala could barely think properly. She turned to her full length mirror to look at herself. Was what she saw really herself? Or was there something beneath the demon? She carefully laid her fingertips on the surface of the mirror and closed her eyes. If she was really part human, she must be able to look like one too. So, if she looked like her mother as a demon, maybe she looked like Jasper as a human. She pictured Jasper in her mind and concentrated. She wasn't entirely sure what she was concentrating on, but she figured she should just… concentrate. When she opened her eyes, she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of her reflection. Her skin was nearly a pale white but her hair was now dark brown, just like Jasper's. Her eyes, however, stayed red, albeit slightly darker than before. As Mala looked up and down at her new body, she couldn't help but notice how much more… squishy and vulnerable she was without all her crystal armor.<p>

If her mother was hiding this from her, what else was she hiding? Mala thought back to the assassin that tried to kill her earlier. Assassin's don't just attack at random; they have set targets. So then, why was she a target and was her mother going to be a target as well? But who would want them dead? They had never done anything wrong before? As Mala kept running these questions through her head, she realized that the only way she'd get her answers was to confront the only person who could answer them. As Mala secretly made her way down to the dungeon, she paused just outside the entrance and ushered Pearl inside. "Is the coast clear? One thump means yes, two means no!" Mala whispered. She waited in silence for a moment before hearing one little thump and followed Pearl into the dungeon. When she got down there, she spotted the hunter in one of the cells, stripped of his gear and armor and left only with a raggedy shirt and pants.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I-I wanted to know why you tried to kill me," Mala asked meekly.

"Isn't it obvious? To rid this world of demons," he answered plainly.

"But why? I mean, I've never done anything bad in my entire life!"

"And what do you know? You live a cushy, comfy life in your palace while the rest of humanity suffers under demon rule! People barely survive. They have too little food, poor shelters and pray every night that they'll still be alive in the morning!" Remy shouted, walking up to the bars.

Mala cast her eyes down sadly. "You're right. I don't know anything about the world. And until today, I didn't even know who my father was. But I'm not going to sit by and just let people tell me what's best for me anymore. Pearl." At her command, Pearl grew in size and easily ripped the bars of the prison cell out of their place in the wall, freeing Remy.

"What is this? Some kind of trick?" he shouted, cautious.

"No, I'm freeing you, no strings attached, nothing, I swear! All I want is to go with you."

"Heh, you're crazy! Why would I take a demon with me?" he asked.

"I know that nobody else in this palace is going help me with this, so you're my best shot."

"Help you with what exactly?"

"My father is a human, so that makes me part human too. I need to know…I need to know about this whole other world that I come from. And if humans are suffering because of demons, then I should help the humans be free!"

"No human will ever believe you're willing to help them. Demons always have an ulterior motive!"

"Not if you vouch for me!"

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you'll never make it out of this palace without my help! I know all the secret passageways; you'd be surprised how bored you can get if you've never allowed to leave this place."

As she spoke, Remy moved over to the entrance of the dungeon, where his equipment was being kept. As Mala finished her sentence, she walked up to him just as he finished putting on his armor. "And what," he started speaking as he swiftly reached for his sword and pinned Mala to the wall with the blade dangerously close to her throat, "is to stop me from just killing you now and taking my chances alone?"

"For one thing: there's her," Mala pointed out, motioning to Pearl who was ready to strike at Remy at a moment's notice. "But she won't hurt you if I tell her not to. Other than that, there's nothing stopping you. I've never been in a fight in my entire life so there's no way I'd last even ten seconds against someone of your skill," she replied calmly.

"And what do you get out of it?"

"I just want to know where I come from… where else I come from," she corrected.

"Sorry, princess, but I work alone," Remy glared before pulling away from her.

"Then take me as your prisoner! Just let me come with you!" she cried, following him out of the dungeon.

"No!"

"Oh, uh, you wouldn't want to go that way," Mala said.

"And why's that?"

"Two of the patrol guards should be coming down that way any second now. Did I also mention I know all the guards and their routes? Your best bet is to use the servants' entrance on the side of the palace. It's pretty much empty in the middle of the day." Remy didn't say anything in response to that, but he seemed to follow her advice anyway, traveling down to the servant's entrance at Mala's instruction while she just smiled to herself.

"Hm, guess you weren't lying," he muttered as he slowly opened the door to the outside.

"See? Do you trust me now? Can I come with you?"

"I already said no!"

"Well then I suppose I'm just going to have to come with you either way!" Mala insisted.

"All right then, but if I were you, I wouldn't go strutting around looking like that," he said.

"Oh, oh right. Um…" Mala looked around and spotted a pile of servant uniforms. With Remy turned away, she quickly shifted into her human form and put the uniform on. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

"Whoa…"

"What?"

"I just didn't expect you to look so… normal."

"So which way are we going? The front gates are that way," she said, pointing in the opposite direction Remy was heading to.

"You're this kingdom's princess and I'm the guy who tried to kill you. Do you honestly think your mother's guards are just going to let us just walk out the front door?"

"Oh, I suppose not."

"Right. So keep quiet and do exactly as I say. One slip up and I'm leaving you behind, understand?" he said with a serious glare.

"Y-yes, I understand!" she chirped, quickly following after him.

Remy wasn't entirely sure what came over him to let the crystal demon princess join him. Under normal circumstances, he would have just killed her and left her in the dungeon for the guards to find. But this… this wasn't a normal situation. He could recall the instance just a few hours before Mala appeared before his cell with perfect clarity.

"What are you doing here?" he had asked as the Crystal Demon Sorceress entered the dungeon and dismissed the guards.

"You know, the whole world thinks the Ryder slayers are all dead," Lang Yan said.

"And what? You're going to finish the job?"

"Hah, why would I do that when I went through so much trouble to save your life?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I wouldn't expect you to remember. You were only a babe. And around that time, I looked like this." In a flash of light, Lang Yan had suddenly transformed and before him stood a pale human woman with red narrow eyes and long blonde hair.

"You…" Remy gasped. It couldn't be, but there was no mistaking it. Remy had searched long and hard for the woman who saved his life as a baby. Every blonde he found wasn't a match; their eyes were the wrong color and he never found the woman with the red eyes. "It can't be…"

"But it is, Remington. So, do I have your attention now?"

"What do you want? Why save me? You couldn't possibly have known what I'd grow up to be."

"Oh, but I could. Tell me, Remington. What do you know of the Book of Ages?"

"The Book of Ages? It's just a myth! There's no way something like that could exist."

"Oh, but it does!" Lang Yan exclaimed. "I have seen it, felt it's pages between my fingers and I have seen the reality that once was."

"What are you talking about?" Remy asked, confused.

"This world that you see before you, none of it is real, not really. Before all this came to be, there was a more peaceful, serene reality: one where the threat of demons was ancient. I seek to restore this reality."

"And why would you want to do that?"

"To make amends for a past mistake and to set this world back on its true path."

"What mistake?"

"I… had a role in the events that created this reality. Shen Du sought my assistance in reaching the Book of Ages. I refused at first, but he tempted me with something I could not refuse."

"Which was?"

"My family. I know the mistakes I've made in the past, but know this, slayer: I love my family and there is nothing I won't do to protect them. But Shen Du caught me in a moment of weakness and even if I have my love back, I know that I cannot put the entire world and future at risk just for my own happiness. I know what you're thinking Remington, why would a Demon Sorceress want freedom for humans? Whatever notions you have about demons, anyone is capable of change. All they need is to open their eyes to see the entire world around them."

"So then what does this have to do with me?"

"You may not believe this, but in the true reality, you are one of my daughter's best friends. While it certainly didn't start that way, you overcame your differences and accepted that good can exist even in demons."

"Me? Friends with a demon?"

"Three demons," Lang Yan corrected.

"Three? You're crazy, lady," he scoffed.

"Call me whatever you want, Remington, but that won't change what must be done. In a few hours, my daughter will be down here to free you and beg you to take her with you when you leave the kingdom. Take her with you."

"And why would I do that?"

"The six of you are necessary if the true reality is to be restored. Take Mala back to your resistance and bring her to your leader. When the six of you are together, you can accomplish amazing things, Remington. I know it."

"And what's the stop me from just killing your daughter?"

"Mala is no threat to you. She may have been a capable fighter in the true reality, but my efforts to keep her safe have… greatly hindered her combat abilities. She couldn't break down a door even if she tried. You will need to teach her how to harness her powers offensively."

"You still seem to think that I'm on board with all of this."

"You wish to free humans from demon rule, do you not? Get to the Book of Ages and you can restore the true reality, a reality where humans live free from demon influence."

"In this reality…" Remy started, "did I know my family?"

"Yes. Your mother and father loved you very much. And you had a twin brother."

"A brother?"

"He did not survive in this reality, but if you restore the true one, perhaps you can reunite with him. Take this," she said, pulling out a crystal block and handing it to him. Remy cautiously took the block and noticed something embedded in the center of it. "This crystal block contains the pages from the Book of Ages that I removed. It is how I was able to preserve my memories of the original timeline. When you get to the Book of Ages, the seal on that block will be broken and you can reattach the pages. Once you do so, the true reality will be restored in an instant and no one will remember this horrid world."

"This all sounds a little farfetched. And how am I supposed to find these other people you say will help us?"

"They will make themselves known in time. But no matter what happens, the Book of Ages must be your priority. Any lives lost in this world can be undone in an instant once you restore the lost pages. And if you're still reluctant to believe everything I've said, remember that I did save your life and you owe me a debt. Do this, and I will release you from your life debt to me." Before Remy could argue with her again, she was gone in an instant.

He looked down at the crystal block in his hands as the memory finished playing in his head. He could just make out what was within the block and it did look like pages. Remy may not have believed Lang Yan's words at first, but he couldn't deny the clear evidence that she wasn't like other Demon Sorcerers. He saw first hand that the people in her kingdom clearly lived happy and well lives and were certainly better off than the people in other kingdoms. Maybe she wasn't like the other Demon Sorcerers… and if what Mala claimed about being half-human was true, then maybe she wouldn't be like other demons either.

"Keep up!" he called as he entered the surrounding woods while Mala followed behind him. He checked back every so often to yell at her again to keep up as she just constantly got distracted by the things around her: trees, flowers, even little critters. "What have you gotten yourself into Remy?" he muttered to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>This is probably my favorite chapter so far. I just really love the relationship between Mala and Remy. And what else I really like about this fic is that its going to let us explore character dynamics and relationships that you don't normally see in City Shadows... like Lang Yan and Jasper. Since Jasper was deceased pre-series, I never really showed first hand what his love life with Lang YanLana was like and writing it out here even if just for a bit literally made my heart hurt... with sadness :(**

**I also wanted to take this opportunity to remind you guys that Remy has a brother. He's not just something for this AU, Remy has a brother who is still alive in the main City Shadows. He was briefly mentioned back in arc 1. So if you noticed it, good for you and if you didn't, well you didn't. Where is he? What's he been doing and why aren't he and Remy together? Well, you'll find out some time. **


	4. The Ryder Clan

**Don't get too excited, guys. Just because the last chapter was nice and long doesn't mean that trend is going to continue. T'was a one time thing! The rest of the chapters are intended to be short and sweet, but who knows? Inspiration might hit me and scenes I play out in my head might end up being longer than I thought.**

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><p>Remy didn't want to admit it, but he had to give Mala some credit. She kept up even when he was sure she'd get tired easily and in the mornings, she was up bright and early before even he was! But that didn't change the fact that she was a naive little princess who had never lifted a finger in her entire life before. If Lang Yan said he was going to have to train her, teach her how to fight, then he had a long way to go. When he came to the spot he recognized, he dropped his satchel and bent down to the ground.<p>

"What is it?" Mala asked, hovering over him curiously.

"This is a Ryder bunker," he answered, brushing aside the leaves and dirt on the ground until he found a metal ring. He looped his index and middle finger through the ring and lifted open a hidden door that led to an underground bunker. "Back in the day when Ryder slayers were still around, they used bunkers like these all around the world for rations and equipment storage. But since I'm the only one left, I've converted all the ones I've found into, well, a little something where I can crash. Come on," he said, motioning for her to follow him down into the bunker. He held open the trapdoor as she went down in front of him before shutting it behind them.

"Whoa, it's really dark down here," Mala said out loud.

"Yeah, that's the idea," Remy said as he pulled out a match and lit a series of candles along the corridor until they reached the central bunker. Once Remy was finished lighting the candles, Mala could see a small, raggedly bed in out corner, a large rack of weapons and a desk with tattered papers scattered all over it.

"Wow, its…" Mala stopped, not sure what to say.

"It's no royal palace," Remy muttered.

"I-I didn't mean it like that! It's nice! Really! It looks cozy," she complimented with a smile.

"Comfort isn't exactly something I can afford," Remy remarked. As he set his bag down on the old bed, he moved over to one of the storage lockers and began rummaging inside.

"What are you doing?" she asked, coming up behind him curiously.

"Getting you a uniform," he replied.

"Why?"

"Because a servant's uniform isn't exactly going to hold up if we get into a fight. Plus, you'll need something more form fitting. Here," he said, pulling out a black and light blue uniform and tossing it to her. "Well?" Remy rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance when Mala gestured for him to turn around as she changed. He finally turned around when she said she was done. "So?"

"It's a little tighter than what I'm used to," she said, moving her arms to get a feel for the uniform.

"I imagine palace robes are a lot looser," he remarked again.

"You don't happen to have another size, you do?" she asked.

"Sorry, but no. That's the only female uniform."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to get used to it then," she sighed.

"Come on," Remy said, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to train," he answered.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you haven't got the slightest clue on how to fight and if you're going to stick around with me, I'd rather not have you be completely useless."

"Oh… well you didn't have to say it like that!" she argued, following him outside the bunker.

"Ok," Remy started as they stood facing each other outside, "I want you to hit me. No powers, just try to punch me."

"Um… ok," Mala muttered. Slightly hesitant, Mala ran up to Remy and swung her fist at him. However, Remy easily and flawlessly swept her legs and she fell to the ground on her back. "Owwww, you didn't tell me you were gonna do that!"

"Newsflash, princess, your opponent isn't going to tell you what they're going to do and when they're going to do it. You need to be able to read your opponent and predict what they're going to do and you need to react to it. Now come on," he said, extending his hand to her, "let's try this again." They spent the rest of the day until sundown practicing. Mala went down several times, but Remy had to give her credit, she'd get right back up every single time. By the end of the day, Mala actually managed to land a few hits on him, but they lacked sufficient power to actually knock him down. He also taught her a couple blocks, which she took to quite easily. "All right, that's enough for today. Come on, we should get inside before demon patrols pass over," he said, opening the bunker door.

"Patrols? They come all the way out here?" Mala asked.

"Not during the day, only at night. A lot of humans tend to sneak around at night so Demon Sorcerers tend to increase their patrols to catch any stragglers. Usually it's just people trying to flee their kingdoms or, well, people like me," he explained.

"The Resistance?"

"Yeah. We're mostly based out of the Shadow Kingdom. Not many of its members head out beyond its borders, but I'm one of the exceptions."

"And that's where we're going, right?"

"Yup. When we get there, we'll see what our leader wants to do with you."

"Are you… are you going to tell him that I'm a-"

"No," he interrupted. "Most of the other members might not be as… understanding as me. For now, we won't tell them you're a demon. We can just pass you off as human, seeing as that's basically true. Here," he said, handing her a bowl of conjee. "It's no royal dinner, but it'll do."

"No, no, it's fine! I always liked conjee. The chef at the palace always put little sprinkles of spice in them and it would taste sooo good. Heh, and I'm just now realizing how conceited I sound… sorry," she said.

"It's fine," Remy assured her. "I'll be honest, I had you pegged completely different. I guess I just expected you to be like every other demon I've encountered."

"If that's your way of apologizing for trying to kill me then, apology accepted," she smiled.

When they finished eating, Remy reached for his plate but Mala stopped him. "Let me. You made dinner after all," she insisted. When she finished clearing the dishes, she came back and saw Remy taking off his shirt. "Oh! Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were… oh boy," Mala stammered, quickly turning away to hide her growing blush. She had never seen a boy… like that. Sure she had seen Drago without a shirt on, but Drago didn't count! He was her best friend.

"It's ok," Remy said, placing his hand on her shoulder to turn her around.

Mala silently glanced at his torso, counting all the scars that covered his body. Most of them were small cuts, probably from small knives or cuts while the others were much larger. The most damning of them was the one at the center of his chest. "How did this one happen?" she asked, lightly tracing her finger over it absentmindedly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be asking you this."

"No, it's fine. I got this one from a fire demon," he said, pointing to the burn on his right upper arm before moving to the scar on his shoulder. "This one was from the bite of a demon hound and this one," he continued, moving to the one at the center of his chest that Mala had asked about first, "I got from an ice demon while I was in Dong Xin's territory. It's funny, the cold actually kept me from bleeding out."

"You must have fought a lot of demons," Mala said sadly.

"Yeah. The small fries are no problem, but I don't always get out of a tough battle without a scratch. And if I do get nicked, it's actually worse for whatever I'm fighting," he said, putting on a loose shirt.

"How come?"

"The blood of a demon hunter burns demons on contact. It's toxic to them. That's why Shen Du was so keen on wiping out all the Ryder slayers years ago. A demon hunter, even one untrained, would have an incredible power over them. So, anytime I got sliced or cut, it just gets all over the demon I'm fighting. Then, I finish the job."

"Doesn't it hurt?" Mala asked in worry.

"Of course, but if it helps me win a fight against a demon, I'm willing to go through a little pain."

"I didn't realize everything was this bad. Here, people are suffering and… and where was I? Living it up in a palace like a stupid child!"

"Revolutions don't happen overnight, but if you want to help, the Resistance will take you in. Just don't tell them you're a demon or they'll think you're a spy," he cautioned.

"So, then what was the Ryder Clan like?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. They were all wiped out years ago when I was just a baby. For the most part, the world thinks all the Ryder slayers are dead and I intend to keep it that way."

"Why?"

"If Demon Sorcerers knew that a Ryder slayer was still around, they'd start hunting me and hurting a lot of people in the process. It's just better for everyone if I don't advertise my existence. It's getting late. You should get some sleep; we're going to be up fairly early. Take the bed," he said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it," he insisted, rolling out a sleeping bag on the floor. "It's going to be a long walk to the Shadow Kingdom and we'll have to pass through Fire Kingdom territory."

"The Fire Kingdom? C-can we stop there?"

"Why?"

"Well, Shen Du's son, Drago and I… we're very close. He'd always come and visit me and I never got the chance to visit him at his home. And he probably thinks I've been kidnapped! I just want to let him know that I'm ok! I promise, I won't spill anything else of what we're doing."

"You better not," he warned. "Fine, we'll stop at the Fire Kingdom for one day only. Don't make me regret my decision."

"You won't! I promise!"

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter: Mala meets with Drago, but doesn't get the reaction she hoped for.<strong>


	5. The Decision

**Ok turns out I had half this chapter written before my finals, so I powered through and finished the chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Now as for the main City Shadows, I know I haven't updated that since early November, but the reason for that is because D-Sniper and I are still planning out all the chapters and situations for each Signs. It's the same thing we did with the Coins where we planned out where each would be found before progressing through the story. We've got the majority planned, but still need scenarios for two Signs. So, feel free to suggest ideas. And please be specific. If you're not going to elaborate, then you're probably not putting effort into the idea and ideally, we'd like ideas from people who actually care. TLDR: if all you're suggesting is a location and not a scenario, don't bother. **

**Sorry if that sounds harsh guys, but sometimes a firm word is needed to get results. It's honestly a bit disappointing to ask for input and all we get is someone saying "maybe they can go here!" ...and do what? Why that location? What would they do there? So, if you're going to suggest an idea, please put enough thought in the idea to form at least more than one sentence. You don't have to suggest an idea, but if you do, please put some effort and thought into it. **

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><p>As Remy and Mala approached the borders of the Fire Kingdom, Mala gasped at the sight of the palace off in the distance. "Whoa… I never knew it looked like… this!"<p>

"Hey! Stay focused!" Remy whispered sharply as the pair carefully snuck behind large rocks and trees.

"So how do we get in?" she asked.

"Shen Du's got too many patrols. Sneaking by them isn't going to be easy. So, we'll have to go through the sewers. Over here," he said, leading her to a large drainage pipe spewing out piece of garbage littered in vile smelling ooze.

"Oh, that's disgusting!" Mala whined, pinching her nose.

"Don't be such a baby, princess. Just hold your breath and stay close," he said, waving for her to follow him into the pipe. With every step they took, the sewage squished and muck sprayed up onto their legs. Mala squealed a few times and even grabbed onto Remy when she saw a couple rats. Remy, however, just rolled his eyes and kept going. When she squealed again and complained at the smell, Remy grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the rest of the sewer along with him.

"Oh that was disgusting!" Mala cried, trying to shake as much of the sewage as she could off her.

"Quiet!" he hissed, pushing her into a nearby alleyway after they climbed out of the sewer into the Fire Kingdom. "Ok, the palace is up there. If you want to see your boyfriend, make it quick."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Mala argued. "And you're not coming with me?"

"No! For all I know I could be walking into a trap!"

"Do you honestly think I'd be capable of setting up a trap for you?" she asked.

"No, but I'm not taking any chances. You go in yourself and we'll meet back up when you're done."

"Where can I find you?" she asked.

"I'll find you," Remy insisted.

"And here I thought you were starting to trust me," she muttered. "I shouldn't be too long!" Mala quickly transformed back into her demon form and instantly turned invisible. She sprouted her crystal wings and flew up to the palace. She had never been to the Fire Kingdom before so she didn't know where Drago's room or anything was in the palace. She found a large open window and flew in, but remained invisible. She'd just have to look around the palace herself until she found Drago. She carefully flew down hallways and up stairs, avoiding patrol guards and the dragon demons that patrolled with them until she finally caught sight of Drago as he disappeared behind two large doors. Carefully, she opened the door and followed him inside.

"Show yourself!" Drago shouted, forming two fireballs in his hands. He noticed the door open and close on its own after he entered his room. Doors didn't just open and close on their own.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mala cried, becoming visible as she held up her hands in defence. "It's just me!"

"Mala?" Drago gasped, extinguishing the fireballs. "What are you doing here? I've been worried sick about you! I heard you were kidnapped by humans!" he cried, running up to her and hugging her tightly.

"I know! That's why I wanted to see you, to let you know I'm ok. And 'kidnapped' may not be the right word in this context," she laughed nervously.

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.

"I sort of actually… ran away with one…" she revealed hesitantly.

"What are you talking about? Why would you run away with a human? Mala, what's going on?"

"Drago, just listen to me! I found out who my father is!"

"You did? Who?" he asked.

"Jasper! My mother's servant," she answered.

"The human? What? And you believed whatever crazy person told you this?"

"I heard my mother say so herself and I can do this!" Mala took a step back and transformed into her human form, wearing the Ryder uniform Remy had given her.

"Wha?" Drago gasped, unable to even find the words. He stepped back from her, shocked, maybe even horrified at what he was seeing.

"Just listen to me, Drago. If my father is human, then there's a good chance your mother might be too!"

"Shut up! I am not half-human! I'm a fire demon! Don't you even dare suggest anything different!" Drago roared angrily.

"But Drago, that might be why we can't find anything about her!" Mala cried, trying to reason with him.

"You're wrong! I am son of the Fire Demon Sorcerer! No weakling human is my mother! You don't know what you're saying!" he yelled, grabbing her arm.

"What are you doing?" she cried, trying to pull her arm from his grip.

"Taking you to my father so he can talk some sense into you!"

"No!" she shouted, ripping her arm free from him claws. "Drago, I know this can be hard to accept. I had trouble accepting that I was half-human too, but once I realized it was the truth, I knew I had to help them!"

"Help the humans? That's what you're doing? Are you insane?"

"I'd like to think that I'm not!" Mala bit back, crossing her arms. "Drago, we can't just sit around while our people suffer! We have to help the humans! They're part of us!"

"No! I am a demon! I will never help the humans! Don't you dare suggest that I'm part human, ever!"

"Drago, please!" Mala begged.

"Get out! Just get out, traitor! As long you're siding with the humans, I never want to see your face again!" Drago roared.

Mala's eyes began tearing up, hurt by his words, each of which felt like a dagger piercing into her heart. "I…I thought you were my friend…" she muttered sadly before turning back into her demon form and flying out the window.

"I SAID GET OUT!" Drago roared, blindly throwing a fireball towards her. He hadn't aimed his throw at all, but the fireball avoided Mala and instead struck the curtains of his window, causing them to catch on fire.

Down below from the streets, Remy caught sight of a small shimmer in the sky. It had to be Mala. But where was she going? He followed the shimmer as best he could, only to see it disappear behind the walls enclosing the kingdom. Going back out through the sewers, he finally found Mala, in her human form, sitting on an old log hunched over. Based on the sniffling he heard and how much her shoulders shook, he had to say that she was crying. He approached her slowly and she made no motion in response nor did she give any indication that she knew he was here. As he sat down next to her, he avoided looking at her, hoping that the tension in the atmosphere would somehow dissolve on its own. Sadly, that didn't happen. When he saw no other option, he finally spoke up and turned to look at her.

"I take it things didn't go too well?" he asked.

"No…" she mumbled quietly in her arms. When she finally raised her face from her arms, Remy could see her red and puffy eyes as tears continued streaming down her face. She sniffled loudly as she wiped the tears off her face. "H-he didn't believe me and the way he looked at me…he might as well have called me a monster!"

Remy sighed and raised his arm around Mala to lightly pat her back reassuringly. "You're not a monster," he said. He didn't realize what he said for a few seconds. What had gotten in to him? Why was he so concerned with a demon's feelings? But there was no taking back his words now that they were out. "You're just a girl."

"He and I knew each other since we were kids…I thought he'd listen to me! I thought he'd believe me! But he just told me to leave! He said he never wanted to see me again!" she wailed, inhaling sharply to try and hold in the tears that threatened to fall once more.

"You can't always predict how people will react. Look, I know you're upset right now, but we shouldn't stay here. You might not like to hear this, but Drago's probably going to tell his father about this," Remy said, standing up.

"You're right," she said, standing up with him and wiping off the last of the tears. "We should leave before Shen Du sends guards after us. Don't worry about me," she insisted. "I can keep it together, I promise."

* * *

><p>"Dad," Drago called, entering his father's study.<p>

"Why have you disturbed me? Can't you see I'm busy?" his father hissed at him angrily.

"It's important! Mala was just here."

"Lang Yan's daughter? What are you talking about? Reports stated that she was kidnapped from the Crystal Kingdom!"

"Well the reports are wrong. Mala wasn't kidnapped, she ran away… with a human."

Shen Du narrowed his eyes at his son angrily. "I don't have time for ridiculous stories, son."

"I'm telling the truth! She told me herself that she ran away with a human because she found out who her father is."

"Who?" Shen Du asked, intrigued.

"Jasper Reid, her mother's servant," Drago answered.

Shen Du's eyes widened suddenly as he angrily slammed the desk in his study into the wall, shattering it and scattering the papers all across the floor. "I KNEW IT!" he roared angrily. "I knew that witch was hiding something! I should have known she'd use the book to hide her secrets!"

"What are you talking about?" Drago asked.

"The Book of Ages, where all history is magically recorded. It is how I was able to create all of this! But, in exchange for Lang Yan's help, I allowed her to make her own changes so long as they did not conflict with mine. And now that I know what she's been hiding, I can take the Crystal Kingdom and crush Lang Yan beneath my heel," Shen Du grinned widely.

"And what about Mala?"

"That half-breed has made her choice. For siding with the humans, she must die."

* * *

><p><strong>Man, is it me or do a lot of people want Mala dead? XD<strong>

**Well I could also use some suggestions for what to write about in this story next. I'd like to bring the focus back onto Linos and company since the past few chapters have been very Mala and Remy centric. Again, please put thought into ideas if you choose to suggest some.**

**Also kinda getting back into Sonic the Hedgehog right now... in particular that Black Knight fic I started ages ago. Thoughts?**


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